eBay's Social Shopping Experience Pops Up in London

eBay harnessed the power of social networks to create a new kind of shopping experience in London’s Covent Garden last weekend, expected to be the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

Mobile devices were a key part of the experience. To see the three hottest toys of the season, visitors could use their eBay social shopping app to scan one of three photo clues set up on plinths around the display. Each one — a patch of fur, a skull and crossbones, and a spiderweb — would prompt a 3-D image of a Furby, a Monster High doll or a Spider-Man toy to pop up on users’ devices.

The pop-up shop also featured a “Twitter barometer” that displayed the 10 most talked-about gifts for Christmas on a screen, as well as QR codes for purchasing each gift. One wall featured swatches of fabric that shoppers could scan using the eBay Fashion app, which each scan triggering a search for matching fabrics on eBay. Additionally, virtual personal shoppers were on standby on Facebook to guide people through gifting quandaries.

More than 4,500 shoppers stopped by the event between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, sending out thousands of tweets and Instagram photos.

“It’s been mind-blowing,” said one young man who visited the event. Even eBay employees were impressed. “Events like this show how modern and futuristic eBay can be,” said Justin Leconte, a classification specialist.